Game apparatus



May 1l, 1943. D E pArr 2,318,793

GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 8, 1941 Patented May 11, 1943 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in game apparatus of the ball-rolling type, the principal object in view being to provide a device of this character for playing a game requiring both skill and dexterity, a steady hand, and a quick eye and which is baffling to an extent rendering the same interesting.

Another object is to provide a game apparatus of the character and for the purpose above set forth which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

To the accomplishment of the above, and the subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment -of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and dened in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the preferred embodiment of my apparatus, and

Figure 2 is a View in transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, the game apparatus of my invention comprises a preferably square board I of a proper size to be held in the hands, or larger if desired, and which is provided with a marginal, upstanding, surrounding flange 2. A glass panel 3 fitting in the flange 2 is spaced at its edges from the upper face of the board I a distance suitable for a purpose presently seen and by means of a square spacing frame 4 also tting in said ange 2 and ilat on said face of the board I. A keeper frame 5 likewise tting in said flange 2 and suitably secured therein against the panel 3 retains the latter against the spacing frame 4.

The board I has formed in the upper face thereof a tortuous groove a, preferably semi-circular transversely, and which forms four substantially four-leaf clover loop sections b arranged in the corner portions of the board I, a smaller square section c in the center of the board, and a central square hub section d in each section b. One loop of each section d opens into the square section c and the loops of each section b open into the central hub section d thereof, so that the loops of each section b form four islands e in each section b bounded by the groove a and around which a ball i-n said groove may be rolled in opposite directions, the square section c forming a bypass through which a ball may be rolled from one section d into any other section and around opposite sides of one of the islands of any other section d adjoining said section c. By this arrangement a ball may be caused to roll in a prescribed course starting from the loop of one section b, in one direction, around islands e of said one section into and around the islands e of the other sections b and back to the section d started from all by properly tilting the board I with the requisite skill to prevent said ball from becoming sidetracked out of said described course. To indicate the course, the islands e are numbered from 1 to 16 consecutively in accordance with the islands which must be passed to achieve the course, and the direction in which the ball is to be rolled around said islands e is indicated on the board I by arrows designated f.

The loop surrounding the islands e numbered 1 constitutes the starting place. Two angularly arranged series of grooves g are provided in the top face of the board I, the grooves in each series opening into the loop surrounding island e and being each designed to contain balls h. Suitable sliding gates i are mounted in the board I for closing the grooves g of the series, respectively, to confine the balls h in the grooves and which are operative by finger pieces y' to open ithe grooves one at a time so that by proper tilting of the board I a ball or balls may be introduced into the loop surrounding island e.

The game may be Won by the rolling of one ball h through the prescribed course or as many as may be decided upon.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

A game board of square form having formed in the upper face thereof a continuous groove in which a ball may be caused to roll under tilting of the board, said groove being arranged to form four clover leaf loop sections in the corners of the board, respectively, and a square by-pass section in the center of the board establishing communication between one loop of each of said loop sections and a loop of each of the other sections, whereby said ball may be caused to roll in a prescribed path from one section through certain loops thereof into each of the other sections, around certain loops thereof and back into the said one section, said loops forming islands in the respective sections past certain of which the ball must be rolled in succession to achieve said prescribed course, said islands being numbered in the order of their succession to indicate said prescribed course, a ball for rolling in said groove, and a glass panel covering said board and conning the ball in the groove.

DAVID E. PAIT. 

